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And Punching the Clown Videos

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Movie Info

Comedian-songwriter Henry Phillips is lured to Los Angeles by renowned TV producer Jay Warren, who wants to create a television series about the struggling performer. With the support of his longtime musician friend Jillian and his well-meaning manager Ellen Pinsky, Henry endures the ups and downs of Hollywood. But when a major TV network gets involved with the show, Henry must decide whether his legacy will be to make jokes or become the butt of them.

Genre:

comedy
Original Language:

English
Director:

Gregori Viens
Writer:

Gregori Viens, Henry Phillips
Release Date (Theaters):

Feb 24, 2017 limited
Release Date (Streaming):

Feb 21, 2017
Runtime:

1h 35m
Production Co:

Kandoo Films, Permut Presentations, Whitewater Films, Tilted Windmill Productions, Lola's Productions

Cast & Crew

Henry Phillips
Self

Sarah Silverman
Sharon Levine

Tig Notaro
Jillian

Stephanie Allynne
Zoe

J.K. Simmons
Jay Warren

Jim Jefferies
Charlie

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for And Punching the Clown

All Critics (13) | Top Critics (7) | Fresh (10) | Rotten (3)

Sympathy is a dollar that can only be stretched so far, and it gives out halfway through the movie.

December 8, 2017 | Rating: 3/10 | Full Review…

Karen Han
CutPrintFilm
The comedy in the film is biting and acerbic and sharply drawn from real life.

February 28, 2017 | Full Review…

Joshua Dudley
Observer
Sharply observed and understatedly amusing ...

February 24, 2017 | Full Review…

Joe Leydon
Variety
Mr. Phillips's self-deprecating humor is amusing but not funny enough to give him the edge he needs to rise up and conquer.

February 23, 2017 | Full Review…

Stephen Holden
New York Times
The knowing satire "Punching Henry" may not amount to a lot in the end, but getting there is lots of fun.

February 23, 2017 | Full Review…

Gary Goldstein
Los Angeles Times
It's the kind of observational humor that instills a knowing chuckle and nod of the head, as opposed to an all-out chortle.

February 22, 2017 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

G. Allen Johnson
San Francisco Chronicle
Punching Henry just sits there on the screen, supplying us with a few familiar faces of people most of us like and a few more characters who grate our nerves and don't give us any real sense of who they are.

May 4, 2020 | Full Review…

Steven Prokopy
Third Coast Review
Glum but smart comedy has some mature material.

March 7, 2017 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

S. Jhoanna Robledo
Common Sense Media
There's an endearing weariness to Phillips' persona. He's about as close to a punching bag as a person can get for much of the film.

February 28, 2017 | Rating: 6/10 | Full Review…

Stephen Mayne
Under the Radar
The result is endearing but also an incisive look at redemption and the fringes of fame.

February 24, 2017 | Full Review…

Todd Jorgenson
Cinemalogue
Punching Henry features a fantastic supporting cast of comedians... and Phillips' low-key yet undeniable charisma keeps it from landing squarely in the Sad Bastard genre it otherwise circles, as does the fact that it's genuinely funny.

February 23, 2017 | Full Review…

Sherilyn Connelly
SF Weekly
Still hapless, still deadpan, still cute...But if you saw "Punching the Clown" there's no compelling reason to see its sequel.

February 19, 2017 | Rating: 2.5/4 | Full Review…

Roger Moore
Movie Nation